Forgotten Children

Some children are living on the edge but they are not beyond our reach.

At Tearfund Ireland we are passionate about protecting children. One of the biggest threats to children’s safety is child trafficking. It is estimated that 1.2 million children are trafficked every year, that is one child every 30 seconds; the statistics seem almost unbelievable. But it is a growing problem and one we aim to tackle both in the countries where we work where children living in poverty are vulnerable to trafficking. Our focus is on stopping trafficking for children, through prevention and aftercare in countries were children are most vulnerable, as well as addressing the issue of human trafficking here in Ireland.

In rural Cambodia traffickers come knocking on the doors of vulnerable families trapped in poverty and offer their daughters work across the border in Thailand as domestic helpers. This is rarely the case and a third of these children end up in the sex industry. Desperate families often see opportunity not danger.

Nang is one such girl, she has just turned 12 and has four months left in school. Leaving school is when young girls like Nang are most vulnerable to being trafficked and Nang’s village is recruiting ground for the brothels that line the streets in Thailand. You can learn more about her story and the work of Tearfund in her village in the video.

We are bringing childhood back to life.

Give to our No Child Taken Fund today

€22 per month can protect two girls giving them the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe

€32 can provide a family with trafficking awareness, training, a livelihoods kit and the practical help they need to keep children safe in school

Donate €4 of your call credit to Tearfund’s No Child Taken campaign. Text the word TEARFUND to 50300. 100% of text cost goes to Tearfund across most network providers. Some providers apply VAT which means that a minimum of €3.26 will go to Tearfund. Service provider: LIKECHARITY. Helpline: 01 4433890